1. SOCIAL SKILLS SERVICES
   

Social Skills Groups are designed to treat children with the following problems:

ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

O.D.D. - Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Behavior Problems

Conduct Disorder

Teasing by Peers

Bullying

Poor Cooperation

Impulsivity

Learning Disabilities

Social Rejection by Peers

Anger Outbursts

Social Anxiety

Tantrums

Excessive Shyness

Aggressiveness

Bossiness to Peers

Intrusiveness with Peers

Loneliness

GOALS OF SOCIAL SKILLS GROUP

Many children have difficulties making and keeping friendships because of inappropriate social skills. Social Skills Group provides children an opportunity to improve friendship skills in a nurturing and therapeutic environment.

Group therapy is the preferred method for treating children with social skills problems. Group therapy allows Dr. Ellie to see what the child cannot tell and what she cannot observe in individual therapy...exactly how the child behaves socially with his/her peers.

Through a highly structured set of lessons, children are taught specific skills in a step by step approach. Role-playing allows opportunity for practice of the skills during group. Each child receives frequent praise and helpful feedback from the therapist and other group members about his/her skills and behavior. Brief homework assignments keep parents aware of what their child is learning and lets the whole family practice the new skills. Positive reinforcement with prizes is utilized to praise appropriate social behavior, increase confidence, and raise self-esteem. Group discussions allow the children to become aware of how their peers perceive them in order to motivate them for improved social skills.

1. CHILD/ADOLESCENT SERVICES
   

TYPES OF TREATMENT

Depending on your family and your child/teen’s unique needs one or a combination of the following treatments may be recommended:

Individual Therapy: Your child meets privately with the therapist to address his or her issues. Since younger children typically have difficulty identifying and verbalizing their thoughts and feelings, play therapy using games, toys, and art techniques are used to provide a fun and comfortable way for them to express themselves. Older children and teens are often more skilled and comfortable with talk therapy and can more directly discuss with the therapist how they feel and what they think.

Family Therapy: Often times one child’s problems in the family can have damaging effects on the family as a whole, the siblings, the parents, and the marital relationship. For families where the child or adolescent’s problems affect other family members the therapist will meet with some or all members of the immediate family, depending on your special needs.

Social Skills Group: For children and young teens that have trouble with friendships, Social Skills Group is the most effective treatment. Children and young teens are placed with others their age who have similar issues. Social Skills Group provides great feelings of acceptance, understanding and belonging. Social Skills Group is recommended for children and young teens who have difficulties with friendships, controlling emotions, anger management, impulse control, self-esteem, decision making, and cooperating.

Testing: Psychological, educational and intellectual testing is available for children and adolescents. IQ tests, academic achievement tests, and tests of emotional and psychological functioning are performed. The majority of children and teens who participate in psychotherapy do not require testing and an Initial Comprehensive Evaluation is always done prior to performing testing. Your therapist will discuss with you if testing is needed, why it is needed and what the test results can tell you. Testing may be needed on the few occasions when it cannot be determined exactly what the child or adolescent’s problems are, when a clear diagnosis cannot be made, and when additional information is needed beyond a diagnosis in order to determine what is best going to meet your child or adolescent’s needs. Psychological and personality testing can be very helpful in providing a comprehensive picture of a child and adolescent’s psychological functioning. Educational and IQ testing can be helpful in understanding a child’s struggles in school, determining if a learning disability exists, specifying the child’s intellectual strengths and weaknesses, and in making recommendations. These types of tests are also very useful for gifted children in the decision making process of appropriate grade and school setting placement.

Testing: IQ, personality and learning disabilities testing for adults is conducted. IQ testing will provide information regarding an adult’s intelligence level, as well as areas of strengths and weaknesses. Learning Disabilities testing can uncover areas of disability or weakness. Personality testing provides a comprehensive in-depth look at an adults personality functioning.

1. ADULT SERVICES
   

Individual: Treatment is based on a wide variety of issues that adults face, from those who simply want to succeed more in life to those struggling with depression or anxiety. While Dr. Ellie will help to uncover childhood and family experiences that are contributing to the current issues, her focus is more on helping adults learn to live happily today rather than dwelling on the past. In addition to providing adults with a confidential and supportive environment to express themselves, Dr. Ellie will teach adults psychological tools and skills to use to make rapid and effective changes in their lives.

Couples: Dr. Ellie provides counseling for couples who want to improve their communication and conflict resolution skills, as well as couples who are having more serious troubles and may be contemplating separation but want to save and restore their relationship. Dr. Ellie will work with the couple, taking a no blame approach, in which no side is taken with either person, but instead help the couple identify the things they would like changed and work to find solutions that both parties can agree upon.

Co-parenting: For parents that are sharing custody. Raising a child with a former spouse or romantic partner can be perhaps the most difficult relationship any adult will have. Research shows that children from broken families do best when the parents get along and cooperatively co-parent. Easier said than done! This difficult process can be made easier by helping both parents learn the skills necessary to share custody and keep the child psychologically healthy and not a victim of the adult breakup. Typically this is initially done by meeting with each parent alone on alternating weeks, with the psychologist serving as mediator and educator to help both parents learn to communicate and resolve conflicts for the best interest of the child. When the co-parents are ready, sessions may be scheduled with both parents together so they can learn how to work together eventually without the need of the psychologist. Co-parenting therapy is the best gift parents can give to their child.

Parent Coaching: For parents that are raising difficult children where the usual parenting tools don’t work, as well as for the parent who desires to learn all they can about raising their child with the best skills possible. Coaching sessions can be weekly for parents with difficult children, to monthly or even less for parents who simply desire periodic professional guidance at various stages of their child’s life.

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